Barbie: Princess Charm School
Barbie: Princess Charm School is a 2011 computer-animated fantasy film directed by Zeke Norton and produced by Mattel Entertainment (under the name of Barbie Entertainment) with Rainmaker Entertainment.[1] It was released on DVD on September 13, 2011, and made its television premiere on Nickelodeon two months later.[2][3][4]
Barbie: Princess Charm School | |
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Directed by | Zeke Norton |
Written by | Elise Allen |
Story by | Kati Rocky |
Produced by | Shelley Tabbut |
Starring |
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Edited by | Jordan Hemsley |
Music by | BC Smith |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Universal Studios Home Entertainment |
Release dates |
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Running time | 80 minutes |
Countries | United States Canada |
Language | English |
The twentieth installment in the Barbie film series, the plot follows Blair Willows, a teenage girl living in the kingdom of Gardania, who wins an annual lottery to attend a prestigious school where girls can train to become princesses or royal ladies. As Blair learns the ways of being a proper princess, she uncovers the mystery and secrets behind the kingdom's missing heiress to the throne.[5]
Description
"Barbie stars as Blair Willows, a kind-hearted girl who is chosen to attend the famed Princess Charm School: a magical, modern place that teaches dancing, how to have tea parties, and proper princess manners. Blair loves her classes – as well as the helpful magical sprites and her new friends, Princess Hadley and Princess Isla. But when one of the royal teachers, Dame Devin, discovers that Blair looks a lot like the kingdom's missing princess, she turns Blair's world upside down to stop her from claiming the throne. Now Blair, Hadley and Isla must find an enchanted crown to prove Blair's true identity in this charming and magical princess story!"[6]
Plot
In the kingdom of Gardania, 17-year-old adopted teenager, Blair Willows, works as a waitress at a small café to support herself, her sickly adoptive mother, and younger sister, Emily. Returning home one day, Blair is shocked to find out, via a televised broadcast, that she has won a scholarship to become a Lady Royal— a princess's advisor— at the prestigious Princess Charm School, a magical academy where princesses from different kingdoms were educated. Emily reveals that she signed up Blair multiple times to ensure her selection. Despite Blair's reluctance, Mrs. Willows assures her that attending the school is a great opportunity.
A carriage comes and takes Blair to the school, where she is enthusiastically greeted by a golden retriever named Prince. Blair meets the headmistress, Alexandra Privet, who tells her that every student is assigned a fairy to act as their personal assistant. Blair's fairy, Grace, takes her to her dorm where she meets her roommates: Princess Isla, who mixes electronic music, and Princess Hadley, an avid sportswoman. Blair is also introduced to Dame Devin, sister-in-law of the late Queen Isabella, and Devin's daughter, Delancy, who will be crowned princess and the ruler of Gardania at the school's graduation ceremony. Blair struggles in her classes due her clumsiness; and is further hampered by Dame Devin and Delancy, who take a strong disliking to Blair and make several attempts to sabotage her. Blair perseveres and improves when she receives special and private tutoring, as well as some encouragement, from Headmistress Privet, who is one of the few who believes in her.
While exploring the palace on a school trip, Blair, Isla, and Hadley happen to come across a portrait of a young Queen Isabella and note her striking resemblance to Blair. Upon seeing another portrait depicting the late royal family, including Prince as a puppy. Upon learning that Blair was found by her adoptive mother on the same day the royal family died in a car crash, Isla and Hadley conclude that Blair was Queen Isabella's long-lost daughter, Princess Sophia, and the true heir to the throne. This discovery is overheard by Delancy. At dinner, Dame Devin announces her plan to demolish the poorer neighborhoods where Blair's family lives and replace them with new parks. However, she attributes this plan to Delancy, who appears conflicted.
Blair almost decides to return home, but changes her mind and becomes determined to find the legendary crown of Gardania, which is said to glow when worn by the rightful heir. On the night before graduation, Dame Devin plants jewelry in Blair's room and accuses her and her roommates of stealing. The three of them are then ordered detained, but are saved by Delancy, who does not want to usurp the throne from the true heir. Blair, her roommates, and Grace sneak into the palace vault, but are caught by Dame Devin, who takes the crown and locks the girls inside.
The next morning, Delancy attempts to stall her coronation, giving Isla enough time to deduce the vault code, allowing the trio to escape. Blair then arrives at the coronation and reveals to everyone there that she was Sophia; she, her friends, and Dame Devin struggle to grab the crown, which eventually falls into Delancy's hands. To her mother's dismay and horror, Delancy places the crown on Blair's head. The crown glows and magically dresses Blair in a new gown, confirming her identity as the rightful princess of Gardania.
Dame Devin angrily berates her daughter for this, and inadvertently reveals that she had orchestrated the deaths of Queen Isabella and her family so Delancy could inherit the throne and be princess one day. Dame Devin is then arrested, and Sophia elects Delancy as her Lady Royal, forgiving her. At a celebratory dance party that evening, Blair/Sophia is reunited with her adoptive family.
Cast of Characters
- Diana Kaarina as Blair Willows / Princess Sophia, a waitress at "Cafe Gardania" who wins a scholarship to Princess Charm School. She is kind, clever, and diligent, but clumsy. It is later revealed that Blair was Princess Sophia, the long lost princess of Gardania, the true heir to the throne, and daughter of the late Queen Isabella, who was presumed to have died in a car crash alongside her family when she was just a baby.[7][8]
- Morwenna Banks as Alexandra Privet, the headmistress of Princess Charm School. First appearing as strict, she gives Blair private lessons to help her improve and is one of the few who believed in her.
- Nicole Oliver as Dame Devin, a vindictive school teacher at Princess Charm School, Delancy's mother, and the sister-in-law of Queen Isabella. She had been selected to act as a lady royal, but no one picked her, not even Isabella, who would become her sister-in-law. She attempts to sabotage Blair at every corner, recognizing her as Isabella's lost daughter, Sophia, who was the rightful heir to the throne. She had also arranged the deaths of the royal family so that Delancy could be princess.
- Brittney Wilson as Delancy Devin, a student at Princess Charm School, Dame Devin's daughter, Queen Isabella's niece, Sophia's cousin by marriage, and the heir presumptive of Gardania. Despite her initially spiteful attitude, she chooses to do the right thing when she learns that Blair is the true heir to the throne.
- Ali Liebert as Princess Hadley, an athletic student at Princess Charm School and one of Blair's roommates and best friends. Liebert also plays Princess Portia, Delancy's airhead companion.
- Shannon Chan-Kent as Princess Isla, a music-loving Japanese student at Princess Charm School and amateur DJ, and one of Blair's best friends and roommates.
- Vincent Tong as Prince Nicholas, a prince who attends the neighboring Prince Charming Academy and later befriends Blair.
- Madeleine Peters as Emily Willows, Blair's younger sister and Miss Willows' second adopted daughter who signed up Blair for the Princess Charm School lottery multiple times.
- Ellen Kennedy as Miss Willows, Blair and Emily's adoptive mother on whose doorstep Blair was left as a baby after surviving the car crash that killed her birth parents.
- Bethany Brown as Lady Royal Josette, one of Blair's classmates.[9][10]
- Kazumi Evans as Harmony, Isla's personal princess assistant.
- Special guest star: Miranda Ram-Nolte as Princess Miranda
See also
References
- "Barbie: Princess Charm School". Barbie. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
- Norton, Ezekiel (2011-09-13), Barbie: Princess Charm School (Animation, Family, Fantasy), Barbie Entertainment, Rainmaker Entertainment, retrieved 2022-07-24
- "Barbie: Princess Charm School". www.uphe.com. 2015-03-08. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
- "Nickelodeon TV listings". Zap2it. November 12, 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-11-12.
- Barbie: Princess Charm School (Video 2011) – IMDb, retrieved 2022-07-24
- "Barbie: Princess Charm School – Movies on Google Play". play.google.com. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
- Barbie: Princess Charm School (Video 2011) – IMDb, retrieved 2022-07-24
- "Barbie: Princess Charm School". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
- Barbie: Princess Charm School (Video 2011) - IMDb, retrieved 2023-10-08
- "Barbie: Princess Charm School script in PDF format". www.scripts.com. Retrieved 2023-10-08.